Psychosis is the medical term used to describe hearing or seeing things that do not exist, or believing things that other people do not – there is loss of contact with reality – and when someone becomes ill in this way it is called a psychotic episode.

Psychosis can be caused by a variety of reasons including mental illness, drug use, brain injury and severe stress. It is most likely to occur in young adults and around 3 out of every 100 young people will experience a psychotic episode, with most making a full recovery. About 1% of the general population will experience a psychotic episode in their lifetime.

What are the symptoms of psychosis?

Some of the more characteristic symptoms include:

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Hallucinations

In psychosis, the person sees, hears, feels, smells or tastes something that is not actually there. They may hear voices which no one else can hear, or see things which aren't there. Things may taste or smell as if they are bad or even poisoned.

Delusions

It is common for a person experiencing a psychotic episode to hold false beliefs, known as delusions. The person is so convinced of their delusion that the most logical argument cannot make them change their mind. For example, someone may be convinced from the way cars are parked outside their house that they are being followed by secret police, that their thoughts are being read or that they have special powers including in some cases believing they are God.

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Mood swings

These are common and people with psychosis may feel unusually excited or depressed, or conversely dampened down and showing less emotion to people around them. They may be extremely active or lethargic, laugh inappropriately or become angry or upset without any obvious cause.

Confused thinking

There may be problems with logical everyday thinking, which become confused, or speaking may be unclear or don't make sense. A person with psychosis may have difficulty concentrating, following a conversation or remembering things, and thoughts may 'speed up' significantly. They may also feel cut off from the world, and generally behave differently from the way they usually do.

Symptoms vary from person to person and may change over time. A psychotic episode typically occurs in three phases, and the length of each phase varies from person to person.

Phase 1: The prodromal phase. Here the early signs may be very vague – there may be changes in the way some people describe their feelings, thoughts and perceptions, which may worsen over time.

Phase 2: The acute phase. In this phase there are clear and obvious psychotic symptoms such as hallucinations, delusions and confused thinking.

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Phase 3: The recovery phase. Most people recover with treatment and this recovery pattern varies from person to person. With the right help, many people never experience another psychotic episode.

What Causes Psychosis?

There is no single cause, and it is believed that genetic, biological and environmental factors are all involved -15% of people with a parent who has psychosis will themselves experience psychosis, compared to 1% of the general population without a family history of it. Other risk factors include complications at birth, using street drugs, severe stress, social exclusion and childhood abuse.

Men and women are equally affected and the average age for first experiencing psychosis is younger in men – typically late teens and early 20's – whereas in women it is more likely to be in their early to mid-20's.

What is the treatment of psychosis?

This typically involves being referred by your doctor to a specialist team who are used to treating people with psychosis. This team includes psychiatrists and psychiatric nurses, psychologists, social workers and support workers.

Medication known as antipsychotic treatment is also often used, and examples of these include olanzapine, clozapine and risperidone. It sometimes takes some time before the best medical treatment is found to suit each particular individual.

Before medication is started it is recommended that a physical health check is done, including weight, blood pressure, heart check and often some simple blood tests. Smoking cessation advice is also usually given at this time.

Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is a type of 'talking treatment' that can be very effective at helping people with worrying thoughts and beliefs deal with them and although it may not remove them altogether can make them much more manageable.

The materials in this web site are in no way intended to replace the professional medical care, advice, diagnosis or treatment of a doctor. The web site does not have answers to all problems. Answers to specific problems may not apply to everyone. If you notice medical symptoms or feel ill, you should consult your doctor - for further information see our Terms and conditions.